For the past 77 years, Nieman Reports has been covering the greatest challenges and opportunities in journalism, from the hyperlocal to the global and across all platforms. We are now seeking our next editor to lead and expand our coverage at a time of rapid change and innovation in the news industry.
Published by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, Nieman Reports is a leading print and digital publication on thought leadership in media, offering deeply reported feature stories and opinion columns that provide insight into and analysis of the most crucial issues facing journalists today.
The Nieman Reports editor directs a team of internal and external journalists and creatives, identifying and assigning stories and other content that will inform and fortify journalists in their work. The editor must embody and uphold the highest standards of journalism, from accuracy to creativity, and ensure that staff and contributors also adhere to those standards.
An opportunity to shape journalism analysis
The Nieman Reports editor reports to the Nieman Foundation’s curator and is responsible for a $500,000 budget; the hiring and management of an assistant editor (and a future senior reporter/editor); and selecting and overseeing about 80 vendors annually, including writers, photographers, designers, and graphic artists.
The Nieman Reports editor serves as a vital steward of the Nieman Foundation’s international reputation and a key communicator with its global alumni base and journalists around the world. This position is an integral member of the senior team at the foundation, working closely with our other publishing and communication initiatives. The editor is responsible for conceiving and executing coverage that is creative and often path-breaking, documenting important industry developments, and amplifying Nieman Foundation initiatives and priorities.
The new editor will be a highly experienced journalist who understands quickly evolving industry developments and translates that into sophisticated and compelling coverage. They must have superior news judgment and will oversee enterprising research and writing that distinguishes the publication as an innovator. This individual is responsible for the entire publishing cycle of Nieman Reports, both print and digital, from story conception and selection through production of the magazine. This requires knowledge across multiple formats and a creative and responsible embrace of emerging technologies.
The editor is responsible for assembling a working team of colleagues, both staff and contributors, to provide reporting, writing, editing, fact-checking, photography, graphics, design, and production. This person also collaborates closely with others at the Nieman Foundation to help grow the publication’s audience and impact through social media, live convening, and other audience-engagement methods.
